A few days after Dyson’s visit I hear Belinda and the girls are resuming their training in the dungeon, and after their first night inside Madam Erin’s dungeon I receive a message from Madam Erin.

Madam Erin: “Well aren’t you full of surprises pup. I have been curious about your boss monster for a while now, and after seeing your new boss monster. I got the chance to meet her before she was your boss monster so I can see the changes she went though.”

I decide to tell her about my unique boss monsters… I have been telling a lot of dungeons lately about my dungeon. Madam Erin was my trainer, my monsters are training in her dungeon, and she is an elder so of course she would have eventually found out.

Sofia might have been right though, so we should be careful in the future. We need to start looking into alternative ways to do our training.

Madam Erin: “I also see you have been making deals with Dyson. Not only do you have what looks like one of his monsters, but also his signature armor. It must have been quite a deal, I hope you were on the benefitting end…”

“Well the human girl was a gift for being one of his training cores this year, but the armor was a gift for the information I just gave you for free, so I would say it was worth it.”

Madam Erin: “I see so he did choose you… I was sure you were too young, but I thought he might do it anyway.”

“I have had some time to think about it, and I have come up with a plan, and if it doesn’t work I got a backup as well so it should be ok.”

Madam Erin: “Well don’t disappoint me pup. I don’t know if Dyson told you or not, but we elders are having a bit of a competition, so I must warn you. The core you train will be up against one I train so best of luck to you.”

“I will do my best.”

Madam Erin: “How about we up the stakes a bit?”

“What did you have in mind?”

Madam Erin: “Apparently Dyson has taking quite a liking to you in which I haven’t seen before. The others are quite concerned about him so how about we make a deal. If your new core out preforms mine and I will provide you a new monster that would make a great addition to your dungeon, but if mine out preforms yours, you keep me informed about Dyson’s movements.”

“Well I don’t know much about Dyson’s movements, but what I do know I would be willing to share if I lose, so I see no problem with it. You got yourself a deal.”

Madam Erin: “Now for the question I messaged you to ask. Why does your dungeon monster’s give such a disproportionate amount of xp to their level?”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

Madam Erin: “Unfortunately I believe you… As you can imagine from my experience I can tell you what an adventurer’s level is based off of how much I get from them, but your monsters are different.”

“I don’t know why…”

Madam Erin: “You always leave me with more questions then I started with…”

“Well I am sorry I can’t help, but I do what to thank you again for allowing me to train my monsters in your dungeon.”

Madam Erin: “Well it makes no difference to me, but if they keep progressing at this speed I don’t know how much longer I will be able to help.”

“We have been talking about that ourselves, so maybe we can figure something out before their next trip.”

Madam Erin: “Well maybe your new friend can point you in the direction of a place to go next.”

“What do you mean?”

Madam Erin: “Well you take care, and don’t forget our deal.”

Just like that I don’t receive another response from Madam Erin… Did she mean Dyson? Dyson’s dungeon looks more like just a city though, I don’t see how he could help. Well it won’t hurt to ask him next time I talk to him.

It stays pretty quiet over the next week until I head from Belinda one evening. She tells me they had a rough day, they tried to push a little too hard apparently and almost lost Zoey and Roxy, but they all at least managed to make it out alive.

Belinda’s PoV

I told Two-Twelve about our trouble last night. He just told us to take it easy and be careful. We decide to train on the hobgoblins a few more days before we try attacking the gnolls again.

Even after 3 days however we have each only gained one level a piece except Sofia who hasn’t gained another.

“We still need 8 more of those gnolls to finish our commission.”

Sofia: “When do we need to start heading back to Tobes?”

“Last time we came here our trip was cut short, but the time before that Two-Twelve said he got a bonus because we were gone for at least a month so we need to keep going a least a few more days.”

Sofia: “Then I say we push it to the limit on just the hobgoblins.”

“I guess you are right, there is no reason to push our luck. There isn’t a penalty for not completing a commission now so if we can’t do it, we can’t do it.”

After 3 more days of training Bell however is the only one to gain another level.

Sofia: “I say we go for it, as long as they are groups of 2 like last time we should at least be able to get the 8 more done.”

“But we have only gained 1 level a piece.”

Sofia: “Yea but for most of you that was level 15 with the addition of Scylla’s new ice spell, and Zoey’s archery skill it should help combat a lot.”

Bell: “I am sorry my new skill was useless in combat.”

“But the ranks you gained in your other skills made your abilities close to Sofia’s.”

So in our final day in the dungeon we push back up to the floor with the gnolls and after checking the room to make sure there are only 2 we make another attempt. The battle that ensues is far from what I would call easy, but this time we manage to take them out without serious injury, and after a brief rest we are able to check on the next room.

We procced carefully and manage to get our last commission fulfilled. We then decide to head back down and work on some more hobgoblins for the rest of the day instead of pushing our luck on the gnolls.

Saying goodbye to the 13th floor we then head out of the dungeon. Luckily the 12th floor and below has been cleared by other adventurers, so the rest of the trip is easy. Once we reach the adventurer’s guild we head to the second floor to a receptionist that seems exceptionally relieved to see us.

Receptionist: “Oh thank Faron you are still alive… I was about to send word that you must of fallen in the dungeon. The adventurers said you only packed enough supplies for a few days but it’s been almost 2 weeks since you entered the dungeon…”

“Sorry for worrying you…Maybe you should consider adding Gowen Communication Parchment to the fee you charge for entering past the 12th floor. That way the adventurer’s guild can keep in touch with groups that enter deep into the dungeons.”

Receptionist: “That is not actually a bad idea, but I heard it is pretty hard to acquire…”

“Well I will see if there is anything I can do about it.”

Receptionist: “Well if anyone could I guess it would be you…”

We turn in our commissions and then head to an inn. The 13th floor wasn’t much different than an inn but at least now I can relax in a bath. After breakfast the next morning I let Two-Twelve know that we are on our way and we begin our trip home.

Two-Twelve PoV

Belinda should be arriving home in a few days… I can’t believe it has been a month since they left. I wonder if this adaptability is a human trait as well. When they first left thinking of how long they were going to be gone felt like somebody grabbing ahold of my crystal, but I didn’t even realize it but that feeling disappeared.

Not that I am not excited that they are returning. I can’t wait to see Belinda and the other girls again. Lilah even keeps asking me at least twice a day when they will be back even though my answer doesn’t change every time she asks.

While at work that day I receive a strange visitor. A young woman enters my office wearing a thin summer dress, so much so, that with the light shining behind her outside you can clearly see her entire figure. She is rather young probably a few years older than Lilah in appearance. She has short kinky auburn hair, and green eyes.

Girl: “Excuse me. Mister Mayor?”

“That’s right. Can I help you?”

After entering the office she shuts the door and looks around cautiously. She then makes her way up to my desk I notice she has something held tightly in her hand, and she reaches forward setting a plain gold ring on the table along with a small round glass ball that she sets in the ring to keep it from rolling on the desk.

Girl: “Master Dyson sent me to ask you to copy this for him. He said the bead should have enough xp to cover its cost, and you can keep the remainder as the payment.”

“I see. Well I won’t be able to do it here, and I will have to take it back home.”

Girl: “I was prepared for that, I have 45 more minutes until he collects me. It just has to be done by then.”

“Well it is about lunch time so I guess I could use the break… If you will follow me.”

I then head home after picking up the ring and the small glass bead. I get quite a few questioning looks from the townsfolk as I head home with the girl following me, so when I arrive at the house I tell her.

“If you wait here I will step inside and see if I can copy it, did Dyson have any preferences on the ring it was copied to?”

Girl: “No, said the ring wasn’t important just the enchantment.”

I direct the girl to sit on a stone bench next to the fountain outside, and then head inside to see what it is Dyson is asking from me.

New Enchantment Available

Agelessness Cost: 100,000xp

What just a flat cost? So far all the enchantments I have learned haven’t worked that way. I next store the bead

New Item Available

Xp Bead 150,000xp Cost:150,010xp

Xp Beads can be broken down in your dungeon and you will receive 100% of the bead’s xp.

I then check the agelessness enchantment

Agelessness: An enchantment that can be added to any item causing the object to not suffer from age. However if the enchantment is placed on a jewelry object the effect will spread to the wearer.

I don’t know what Dyson would need with that… I mean he and any of his monsters basically have that already. Is he planning on giving it to just a normal human? I am a little worried, but he has one already so it not like another is going to make much difference. Besides I will be getting a massive 50,000xp as my fee for making it…

After breaking down the bead I look through [Menu] choosing just a plain silver ring and adding the enchantment bringing the total to 100,010xp… I can’t leave it at just that though so when I complete it I focus on making the ring as intricately detailed as possible.

The plain silver band turns out to be an eternal knot that wraps around making a ring made of polished silver that manages to impress even me. I take the two rings and return to the girl handing them over. She grasps them firmly pulling it to her chest tightly.

“That should do it.”

Girl: “The master will be pleased. Thank you.”

“Well the reward was more than fair, so it was a pleasure.”

Girl: “Do you mind if I wait here for master to call for me?”

“Go right ahead…”

I decide to head back into the house and transfer to the core room. I ask Lilah how things are going while keeping an eye on the girl.

Lilah: “What was that just now? We had a massive jump in xp but it quickly dropped again, but there is still quite a lot remaining…”

“Part of my deal with Dyson, the amount that is left was my fee I guess you could say.”

Lilah: “So all that xp is for the dungeon?”

“Well I plan on splitting it up a bit. I am going to use 20,000 on spreading into Tobes more, I am going to hang on to 10,000 for an emergency, and the other 20,000 can be used on the dungeon.”

Lilah: “So does that mean Lilah can have a new floor in the dungeon?”

“Sure, a new floor sounds ok, but I plan on adding a few more rooms to the current floor before that, but there should be plenty.”

Lilah: “Next time tell Dyson we want a dragon. Lilah wants a dragon.”

“I am not sure how much a dragon costs, but I am sure it is more than I can make doing small favors for Dyson…”

I watch the girl disappear from the bench.

“Well I better head back to work now, you and me can work on the dungeon this evening and we can surprise the others when they get back in another day or two.”

Lilah looks excited and I then transfer from the room and head back to the office for the rest of the afternoon. That evening Lilah has prepared a list by the time I have arrived. After looking over it I nod she is actually put a lot of thought into this.

“Ok Lilah. Build it, and I will work on the area around Tobes.”

I give Lilah the permission to use the 20,000xp and she hugs me around the stomach then puts on a serious face and begins working. I meanwhile use another 20,000xp to begin spreading around Tobes further.

Even with 20 areas added I still only have 1/10th of Tobes covered. Now at least most of the buildings added are residential so our amount of xp per day should go up. The list of new items that is summon-able is huge, I spend a few minutes looking through it, but most of it is irrelevant.

By the time Lilah is finished with her part my xp consumption is just shy of 200xp per day…So now I don’t really know if the townsfolk are going to help much. The inn has been bringing in around 100xp per day, so as long as I get around another 100 from the new residents I covered we should still be fine.

I decide to look over Lilah’s work. She added a side room to each of the two middle pit rooms on opposite sides. She attached them with doors and the wood flooring. They are set up pretty much the same as the other four.

Adding another room on the back she used a clever setup with the wooden flooring and the stone walls making a ramp going down to the bottom of the floor. She surprisingly added a golem rift and several traps in this room. It isn’t really a stairwell so it isn’t safe, but I wonder how the adventurers are going to take it.

From the bottom she connected a stairwell just like I did for the last floor connecting another pit room on her new floor. However where my platforms were made of stone and solid wood hers is made entirely from wood held together with ropes tying it all together…

The golem obviously wouldn’t be able to traverse it so she has instead are 4 weird giant kobolds with wings that I have never seen before.

“What are those? How did you even summon them?”

“Lilah unlocked them. At first Lilah was going to go back to kobolds but as soon as she summoned 2 this was unlocked so I used them instead.”

Sure enough there is 2 crimson kobold brutes stored in the crystal, and there is a message I must have missed because of the lists of items from when I added the areas around Tobes.

New Monster Available

Lesser Dragonkin Cost: 800*

Lesser Dragonkin are considered an elemental type monster usually only available in the dungeon cores favored element, but due to the unique nature of the polychromatic diamond their element will be random. They still will however still be discounted by the [Uniquely Gifted] discount.

“No matter how I add it up, it seems you had to have spent more than 20,000xp…”

Lilah: “…”

Lilah has a guilty look on her face.

“But how? I set it to only allow you to use 20,000xp”

Lilah: “Lilah used her normal access for most of the monsters… The 20,000 ran out to fast...”

“You do realize that leaves us with just the 10,000xp I was planning on saving don’t you.”

Lilah: “But we get lots from the adventurers in town, and Belinda should be back in a day or two Master said.”

“Well we have been in far direr of situations, but you shouldn’t have spent the extra xp without at least asking first.”

Lilah: “Lilah is sorry…She got excited to finally build on the dungeon herself. Lilah didn’t realize how fast xp disappears when adding to the dungeon…”

I am a little disappointed when even with all the extra space the increase from the village is only around 40xp… So we are back to consuming more than bringing in again. Well now the traveling adventurers from other kingdoms have begun to arrive they tend to be a bit more reckless in the dungeon and often die, so maybe some higher level adventurers will begin to come.

It takes another 2 full days before Belinda and the girls finally make it back. I give Belinda a kiss then hug her, and I quickly scan past the levels gained to check the xp amount on the screen that appeared.

35,885xp earned from external source. 3588xp bonus for Belinda (Boss) participation, 3588xp bonus for Roxy (Boss) participation, 3588xp bonus for xp acquired in another dungeon, 358xp bonus for battle lasting more than 1 week, 3588xp bonus for battle lasting more than 1 month, -1794xp for attacking neutral dungeon.

48,801 xp total rewarded

I hug her tight and tell her “I love you.”

Belinda: “You better be saying that because you mean it and not just because of the screen you are playing with behind my back.”

I quickly close the screen… “Of course I mean it.”

Belinda: “So what trouble did you get into while we were gone this time?”

“I would say none, but Dyson paid me a visit while you were gone and I was forced to tell him more about my dungeon, but we came to an agreement. I think he will now go out of his way to help us, and I already got 50,000xp from our agreement. I don’t see it as a problem, but I didn’t tell you while you were gone so I thought I would start with that.”

Belinda: “You will have to tell me more about it later…But that doesn’t sound bad, so I still ask what did you mess up while I was gone?”

“I did find out which core number I will be training as well, and Dyson said it would be another woman…”

Belinda: “I shouldn’t expect anything less by now… So do you really mean to say that I finally made a trip without coming home to some kind of disaster?”

“I guess so…?”

Belinda: “Well I will reserve judgement for 24 hours to make sure.”

“I promise you that is all that happened.”

Belinda: “Well in any case we will deal with it. For now I am just glad to be back.”

She squeezes me a bit tighter in the hug which is actually kind of painful with her armor on, but I don’t say anything. We then make our way home. Meanwhile I check a few of the other screens that appeared when they arrived.

New Skills Available

[Gentle Soul] Cost: 1000xp [Expert Archer] Cost: 2500xp [Combat Medic] Cost: 2500xp

I guess Scylla, Zoey, and Bell are still learning new skills and such. Maybe I should use some of the xp they brought back to add a few more for Belinda and Roxy. That however can wait till tomorrow.

After settling in we prepare a large dinner at the house and catch up the girls telling stories of their trip. Even though they all seem tired we continue on until the wee hours of the night.

The next morning when I wake up with Belinda wrapped around me a warmth fills me leaving me in a great mood. After breakfast I ask Belinda and Roxy to join me in the core room so we can see about giving them some new skills and some spells.

Roxy: “I am just grateful for all you have done already I couldn’t ask for more…”

Belinda: “You won’t gain them by leveling up any more so unless you spend the time to learn a specific skill, you won’t gain anymore unless it is this way.”

“Besides you are one of my boss monsters so doing this for you is also doing it for me.”

I teach the two girls a number of skills and spells that will be beneficial to them. In the end I end up with only 5000xp left from their trip but it gave both girls a major boost.

Belinda: “I know this helps us, but is “All” of this really necessary? That has to be all of the xp we brought back with us…”

Roxy: “This is too much Two-Twelve…”

“You both are worth it. Besides it didn’t take it all of the xp, adding back some of the xp that Lilah spent I still have 10,000xp that I am keeping for emergency, so we are in good shape.”

Roxy: “Don’t tell Zoey alright… I don’t know how she will take it with how my abilities were boosted. She already feels she isn’t pulling her weight in the group.”

“We have to find a way to help Scylla, Zoey, and Bell… Sofia is ok at the moment but eventually she as well will need help as well.”

Belinda: “I actually think their power level is normal… It is ours that is the unusual ones.”

Roxy: “Shouldn’t you have used that xp to give yourself the skills besides me anyway?”

“Well you two are the ones out there. If we get more comfortable I will eventually do the same for myself, but I don’t face a lot of combat in the mayor’s office…”

Belinda: “But if something happens to you it won’t matter much, so maybe she is right. You should at least take a few of the defensive skills yourself.”

To make them happy I try to learn more skills myself but most of the training or combat skills say that I don’t meet the requirements… I am however able to learn Zoey’s [Keen Eye] and Bell’s [Hardened Skin] skills. After filling the 10,000xp reserve and buying the skills for myself there is anything left from the girls trip now…

“Well I haven’t seen enough combat to take most of them, but I was able to learn a few.”

Belinda: “Maybe we should take you with us next time just so we can get you more combat experience. I am sure as a dungeon core you are going to need it eventually.”

“That would put us over the group limit though.”

Belinda: “What group limit?”

“If a group has over 6 people it reduces the xp acquired, and when I don’t acquire any from combat anyway it seems like a waste.”

Belinda: “Is that just for dungeons, because nobody has ever heard that before. I mean sure you have a large group you expect to not gain levels as fast but people always just assumed because you are fighting less.”

“I don’t know… It is just something Thirty-seven once told me…”

Belinda: “Some things that the dungeon cores know that seem so obvious, humans have been scratching their heads about for years…”

“Well I better get to work, and you probably have a lot of catching up as well.”

The next few days pass pretty smoothly as things begin to return to normal. Belinda has finally got the paperwork finished and work has begun on the new town hall/ adventurer’s guild building next to the house.

She has contracted an actual crew from the capital for this construction only using adventurers as gofers so the commissions are pretty limited for it compared to most buildings she has built. When I ask her why she says the fact that most of the building’s construction funds are coming from Tobes and not her it would be a political mess using the adventurers.

I don’t quite understand how it would be any different but I will take her word for it. The building seems to be constructed much better than the other buildings Belinda has had built as well. Even our house wasn’t constructed quite that well…

The construction crew doesn’t have any adventurers among them but their levels actually seem higher than some of the adventurers that have been entering our dungeon lately as when the crew arrived the amount of xp I acquire per day rose considerably.

Yesterday Belinda heard of an adventurer group planning to hit the dungeon early so Lilah takes her breakfast then heads to the dungeon early while the rest of us eat, and Belinda asks a question.

Belinda: “Lilah has been with us over a year now hasn’t she?”

“Yea I guess so… She was here a few months before we summoned Scylla and Zoey, and next month will mark a year since we summoned them.”

Belinda: “We never gave her a birthday party…”

“Well she was summoned by dungeon #47 a few months before we even got her, but even she doesn’t know the exact date so there isn’t really anyway to know when her birthday is.”

Belinda: “That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do something for her… I am going to throw her party.”

“Of course you would… Most of the townsfolk don’t know Lilah though. They have seen her with us sometimes but she has been working on the dungeon so much she doesn’t go into town much anymore.”

Belinda: “We could still do something for her, even if it is just between all of us.”

Roxy: “What should we get her?”

“She likes stuffed animals… She filled her room with them when she had the room in the dungeon, She had to break them all down when we went to the capital, but she still takes really good care of Thirty-seven’s stuffed cat, and the one Bell gave her during the solstice festival.”

Belinda: “But she is growing out of stuff like that, surely we can come up with something better than that.”

“It’s not even been a year since then…”

Belinda: “You realize how much she has grown in that time?”

“She has learned a lot about the dungeon but she hasn’t really changed much.”

Belinda: “She hugged you this morning right?”

“Yea… She does it almost every morning.”

Belinda: “Ok and how high did she come to you?”

I motion to my chest then stop thinking… “Wait.”

Belinda: “That’s right. She used to hug you around the waist, now it’s around your stomach. She has grown almost a full head taller.”

Roxy: “There isn’t many but the few young boys that are in town have taken notice of her when she is in town as well.

“Well then if not the stuffed animals then what?”

Zoey: “Boss you did promise her the armor before we left.”

Belinda: “That’s not a bad idea, maybe an adventurer like birthday. I could take her down to get her adventurer ID.”

Scylla: “She wanted Master to teach her to fight as well, maybe we could take her to train against some of the kobolds in the dungeon? She won’t gain any xp, but it would make for good training.”

Zoey: “She doesn’t have a class though.”

“We just have never given her one. She might not like it though if we can’t give her a class that uses magic. She seemed to really want to use magic as well.”

Belinda: “If you gave her a class would she know?”

Scylla: “She would notice the abilities that would become available, especially if it was a class that could cast spells.”

Roxy: “I didn’t even know I could use wind attack magic until I joined the dungeon…”

Belinda: “Yea humans aren’t aware of skills either, and I thought the techniques I could do where just what I learned in training. I didn’t even know they required magic either.”

Sofia: “How do humans even function as adventurers if they don’t even know the basics like that?”

Belinda: “There is a guild magic at the capital that you can use that will show it all to you. Adventurers think it is just their hidden talents…”

Sofia: “…”

“But back to Lilah… I guess it won’t at least hurt to see what classes are available to her, and we can make a decision after that.”

I have only done this with Zoey, as Belinda did Scylla’s so it takes me a minute to figure out how to get back to the right screen for Lilah.

Monster Lilah

Race: Feral Beastkin (Rabbit) Gender: Female Level: 2 Class: None Favored Element: Shadow

After selecting class it brings up another screen.

Assign Class

Basic:

Martial Artist: +10 Strength, Agility, Endurance, +5 Unarmed, 1 random class based skill Warrior: +15 Strength, Endurance, +5 Weapon Ability, 1 random class based skill Archer: +15 Agility, +10 Strength, +5 Endurance, +5 Bow Arts, 1 random class based skill

Advanced:

Agile-warrior: +15 Strength, Agility,+10 Endurance, +10 Weapon Ability, 1 Weapon skill, 1 random class based skill Sword-Maiden: +15 Strength, Endurance, +10 Agility, +10 Sword Arts, Sword Training skill, 1 random class based skill

Special:

Dungeon Tactician: +15 Strength, Agility, Endurance, +10 Weapon Ability, Leadership, +5 Spell Power, Concentration, Spell Arts, and Mental defense, 2 random class based skills.

“That is curious… Belinda I have only seen this screen for Zoey and it just has a few available. What did Scylla’s look like? Lilah’s has three different lists although they are pretty limited.”

Belinda: “I don’t know I asked Scylla if she could use magic and it just asked me to assign the mage class, I didn’t see any screen with other available classes.”

Scylla: “There are 3?”

Sofia: “Of course the 3rd Tier would be the strongest, but if she wants to use magic and it’s not a casting class but one of the others you might want to go with it.”

“Actually the 3rd one is the only one that has a bonus to magic, but it might be a bit troubling if she ever decides to go adventuring.”

Sofia: “How so.”

“I am assuming it is because her training with the dungeon but she has a class called Dungeon Tactician available.”

Sofia: “That is actually a boss class… I don’t even know how to start to figure out how that is available.”

Belinda: “That actually should be ok.”

“How?”

Belinda: “That actually isn’t the first time I have heard of that class. The hero that trained me to be an adventurer had that class.”

Sofia: “But that is a boss monster class…”

Belinda: “Are you saying my mentor was the boss monster for a dungeon? That can’t be he died of old age a few months before I came to Tobes.”

Sofia: “His core could have died leaving him left behind.”

Belinda: “I am dating a dungeon core, and so is my brother. My grandfather apparently knew Madam Erin, and now you are telling me my mentor was a dungeon monster as well…”

Sofia: “That is not really surprising when you factor in the fact you are a princess… Most royalty has had at least some contact with a dungeon at some point.”

Belinda: “…”

“Well I guess we could select her class as Dungeon Tactician then?”

Belinda: “It is a recognized class at the adventurer’s guild, so I guess. It might be pretty surprising with her age though.”

Zoey: “Does that mean even Lilah is going to be stronger then me…?”

Sofia: “Depending on the skills she acquires, if she catches up with your level odds are she would indeed have a bit of an edge over you.”

Roxy comforts Zoey after her ears and tail droop.

Belinda: “I will get her an adventurer’s ID, Two-Twelve will give her a class and some armor, and what else can we get her?”

Bell: “I have not spent any gold from the commissions I have completed… I could get her a sword.”

Roxy: “Zoey and I will take her into the dungeon to train, and we can probably come up with something else as well.”

Scylla: “I will see what I can come up with.”

I can tell Belinda is already planning the party in her head while we finish with breakfast, and we then head off to work.

Bell: “Two-Twelve can you take me to Denova’s store this afternoon to get a sword for Lilah? I don’t want to go alone every time Roc sees me he licks his beak and looks like he wants to eat me…”

“… Yea, I think that would be ok. I am sure Belinda will be busy with the preparations anyway.”

After work we head to Denova’s general store. I haven’t been inside since it opened up, but Belinda has even begun shopping here for a few things. It actually it quite impressive, there are quite a few rows of shelves set up with general goods items, and off to one side she has several cases displaying weapons and some armor, with more displayed on the walls.

There is one of her girls that quickly greets us when we enter, and although I wouldn’t call what she is wearing normal attire, it is definitely more conservative then what Denova’s girls usually wear. The shirt is open quite a bit in the front, but I guess it isn’t much worse than Bell’s shirt, and she isn’t carrying near as much.

The skirt she wearing looks normal enough even if it does seem just a bit too short, but she could at least bend over without showing the contents which is more than you can say for the advertisement skirts Denova’s other girls wear.

Moving over to the adventurers gear we find that Scylla has beaten us to the store.

Scylla: “Oh I see, you came as well?”

“Bell asked me to help her out. Roc still makes her nervous.”

Scylla: “I haven’t seen him, but I understand how she feels…”

Bell: “Have you found anything?”

Scylla: “I was kind of just looking to come up with an idea, as I don’t really have any gold.”

“I told you to hang on to some… but if you find something let me know I am sure Belinda wouldn’t mind me getting it for you to give to Lilah.”

Scylla: “Then it’s not really a gift from me.”

“It is if you are the one that pick it out.”

Scylla: “Well I will keep looking.”

Bell: “What kind of sword do you think Lilah would want?”

“After Thirty-seven died I had her carry a short-sword for a while because a normal sword was a little too big. It might still be a little big but she might be able to use a normal sword now though.”

Scylla: “She is pretty agile as well. She might do better with a thin blade like a rapier or cutlass.”

Looking over the supply most of the weapons are of the standard variety. Short-swords, swords, broad-swords, hand-axes, great-axes, Maces, there is even one exceptionally large maul, but no thin blades.

Scylla: “What about at home, can you not put something together?”

“I have seen a few, but never been able to get ahold of one.”

Denova: “Well if it isn’t the Mayor, just window shopping I see.”

“Well that wasn’t the intention, but that’s what happens when you don’t have what we were looking for.”

Denova looks a little dissatisfied with my answer and says. “Well we are of course just starting to branch out with the adventurer gear, if there is something you are looking for maybe I can see if I can get it in for you.”

“We are looking for a blade for Lilah. She is starting to get the age to start training her I guess, but the standard sword is still a bit heavy. We were looking for a thin bladed sword.”

Denova: “Well if you are dead set on a sword, I probably can’t help you unless you go with just a short-sword, but that little rabbit of yours is pretty agile right? If you willing to think outside the box I might have something that might take a bit for her to get used to but might work for her.”

“Well it won’t hurt to take a look I guess…”

Denova: “That’s the spirit. Wait here I will go get it.”

Denova makes her way to the back room, when she returns she is carrying a very questionable pink box…

Denova: “I had a client with “special” interests and ordered this, but it wasn’t quite what I ordered.”

She opens the box and there is something curled up in the box that looks like a leather rope.

Scylla: “A whip?”

Denova: “Why yes it is, but as you can see it wasn’t really what I had in mind.”

As she removes it from the box at one end has a place to hold on to it and the other it splits into three strands with sharp metal barbs.

Denova: “I thought of just cutting off the end but after spending the amount of gold I did on it, I hated to damage it.”

“I thought you said you had a weapon…”

Denova: “Hard to believe an ex-slave as obstinate as you never was at the receiving end of a good lashing.”

Scylla: “I don’t know… Lilah was a slave as well I don’t really think…”

Denova: “She was one of Edward’s slaves, he doesn’t use a whip, so she shouldn’t have any preconceptions about it.”

“It’s not really an effective weapon is it?”

Scylla: “Well I mean I guess it could be, but I am not quite sure what Belinda would say…”

“Well the question is how much do you want for it?”

Denova: “Like I said I paid quite a bit for it.”

“You also said it was useless for what you ordered it for, and you didn’t bother to display it leaving it to gather dust in your back room this whole time.”

Denova: “Well I paid 25 gold for it, and I need to make a bit of profit off of it so how about 30 gold?”

“At the moment it is just taking up space, if you even really did pay 25 gold for it, how about giving it to us at cost, so you at least get your money back off of it.”

Denova looks like she is thinking hard about it. While Bell pulls on my sleeve.

Bell: “Two-Twelve I only have 22gold…” -She says holding a bag of gold coins.-

Denova: “Fine!” –she says snatching the bag from Bell’s hand.- “But remember you owe me one.”

She then wraps the whip back up putting it back in the box handing it to Bell.

“A deal is a deal, but out of curiosity how much did you actually pay for it, as I know you wouldn’t sell “anything” at a loss.”

Denova regains her sly smile while saying. “But I would never lie to a client.”

“Yea I am sure…”

Denova: “Well is there anything else I can do for you?”

“I think you have done enough…”

The three of us then leave Denova’s store. While walking down the street holding the box in her arms Bell asks.

Bell: “Do you really think it’s alright to give this to Lilah?”

“Well Scylla said it is a weapon, but if Lilah doesn’t like it we can use the dungeon, or order a thin blade from the capital. This will at least get us by.”

Scylla: “I am not too sure Belinda will be happy about it however…”

“Well what are you planning on getting for Lilah?”

Scylla: “…”

After reaching the house Bell takes the gift upstairs putting it in her room.